Published 6:30 am, Thursday, April 14, 2016

HURON COUNTY — The county collected almost $8 million in wind turbine taxes in 2015, according to a report from the Huron County Treasurer’s Office.

The report shows county and township coffers gained about half the $7.9 million while schools, county road funds and libraries claimed the remainder.

For townships, it amounted to a nearly $2.4 million boost. The Huron Intermediate School District netted $1.8 million and the county got about $1.7 million, according to the report.

Wind turbine tax revenue accounted for about 7 percent of Huron County’s overall budget for 2015, County Treasurer Debra McCollum said. However, the percentage fluctuates with depreciation and if new turbines are built in a given year.

For 2015, the county as a whole collected $832,512 more in turbine taxes compared to totals listed in a 2014 Treasurer’s Office report. The totals include amounts gained from substations and other wind energy structures.

Here’s a breakdown of amounts for each township collected:

• Chandler (79 turbines): $700,378

• Brookfield (32 turbines): $360,602

• Oliver (52 turbines): $218,441

• Winsor (32 turbines): $201,386

• Sigel (24 turbines): $158,563

• McKinley (15 turbines): $150,700

• Sebewaing (15 turbines): $133,708

• Bloomfield (16 turbines): $115,378

• Bingham (41 turbines): $77,225

• Rubicon (10 turbines): $69,625

• Grant (four turbines): $28,296

• Fairhaven (three turbines): $23,468

• Sheridan (five turbines): $17,494

And the more than $895,000 schools gained:

Lakers: $551,187

USA: $107,554

Harbor Beach: $80,716

Owen-Gage: $57,264

Port Hope: $37,706

Ubly: $31,975

Eccles: $29,230

North Huron: $111

Others that cashed in

Of area libraries, Pigeon District Library got the biggest chunk, at $149,134. That’s down from more than $200,000 for 2014.

Harbor Beach Area District Library saw $52,000 — more than double the amount listed in the treasurer’s 2014 report. Library Director Vicki Mazure told the Tribune last year the library generally uses the extra money for one-time investments and upgrades like digitization of materials. But because wind turbines depreciate so fast, “we can’t expand long-term services” using the revenue, she said.

“We’d really be hurting if we didn’t have wind turbine revenue because of the loss of (the DTE plant),” Mazure said last year.